A level Sociology & fiction novels

[FooFightersFan]

My DS is taking Sociology for A level in September. (His results at GCSE have meant that they have had to opt for this subject rather than the one he wanted to due to grades.)

I was wondering if there are any appropriate fiction books that would be worth reading to support his studies (as opposed to just text books).

I've been watching The Handmaid's Tale avidly, and read the book recently so thought it could be a good choice. That and Orwell's 1984 and Palahniuk's Fight Club.

He does read, although a lot less than he used to, but I thought maybe some good fiction may open his mind to ideas beyond his perception of 'everyday' life and encourage him to adopt a broader view on what goes on in society.

Hope I'm making myself clear... I'm possibly being my usual 'over-invested mother' but ...

1984, the country of last things, catch 22 to name a few

Wild Swan by Jung Chan is interesting, however he will also need to ensure his political, historical and cultural knowledge is good. Biographies may be useful- Pol Pot by Philip Short is accessible; also reading a reputable news source every day, with focus on national and international events.
However if he hasn’t studied sociology before he will also need to read lots of relevant background resources/ textbooks. Students often view it as an easy option and have a real shock at A level.

In addition to reading, you could encourage him to dip into Radio 4's "Thinking Allowed" which discusses all sorts of contemporary sociological research in a very approachable way.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qy05/episodes/downloads

Thank you all.
cherrypie yes we will encourage him to read/watch more current affairs & news, as well as films & dramas on tv.
He doesn't know much about what he's going to be studying, and therefore letting himself in for, however he's quite switched on. He gained a 7 in History & 8 in English Lit, so hopefully this will help as he can take on board concepts and facts and express them well (I think).
I'm going to get him a revision guide to start with so that he can see what is on the syllabus and get a breakdown of topics and definitions etc.

Thank you tick radio & podcasts are also a great resource!